The University of Miami was recently ranked No. 229 out of 257 colleges and universities in the FIRE 2026 College Free Speech rankings, dropping almost 40 spots since 2024. This is the lowest ranking of any Florida university on the ranked list.
The University received an overall score of 51.6 out of 100 points for overall free speech, a grade of “F.” Political tolerance, self-censorship and administrative support all received scores of “F.” Comfort expressing ideas scored a “D-”, and openness received a “D+.” Disruptive content was the only passing grade at a “B-”.
Although zero controversies at UM have been reported to FIRE between Jan. 3 and June 5 of 2025, two incidents made national news shortly before and after the FIRE data was compiled.
Dr. Michelle Bravo, a former neurologist at UM’s Miller School of Medicine, left her job at the University after a post she shared on X after the assassination of Charlie Kirk caused widespread controversy.
In 2024, Professor Rachida Primov wore a sash embroidered with the word “Palestine” on it, and made a public apology after violating the University’s political advocacy policy.
In another incident that did not make national news, UM’s Black in Business was instructed by the university to rename to “Belonging in Business.” The University followed guidance from a Department of Justice policy limiting “discriminatory language” and DEI programs, which was implemented by the Trump Administration.
One anonymous student who was quoted in the Free Speech Rankings said that UM’s campus climate limits students’ ability to express themselves.
“The University of Miami is extremely hesitant to allow speech that jeopardizes its financial interests,” the student said. “Protest rules have been altered to be extremely repressive, not allowing protests without permission from the University and requiring police officers (and a payment to support them). I have faced backlash for wanting to protest climate change, Christian right ideology and Zionism.”
Despite the low free speech ranking and faculty expression controversies, the University of Miami prides itself on its commitment to the First Amendment.
“At the University of Miami, we have and will continue to embrace the values of freedom of expression and the freedom of speech,” states UM’s Free Expression website. “With that comes the responsibility for each member of our community to treat each other with dignity and respect, and to be respectful of differing and diverse points of view and ideas.”
The University’s political demonstrations policy requires that all political demonstrations must be pre-approved by administration. The Dean of Student’s Office reserves the right to shut down, restrict or deny any demonstration “deemed inconsistent with the values and mission of the University.”
Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Ryan Holmes clarified in 2023 that there are no free speech zones on campus that allow for spontaneous demonstrations, emphasizing the need for prior University approval. This policy was clarified when a transgender rights walkout was cancelled after pushback by administration.
The policy furthers that demonstrations may not last longer than two hours. Encampments, a method of protest used by students across the country to protest the Israel-Hamas war, are entirely banned. Israeli and Palestinian demonstrations have been limited to vigils and community gatherings at UM.
In the spring of 2024, Columbia University students engaged in several encampment protests in response to the Israel-Hamas war. The University then authorized police to arrest any students participating in the encampment before completely shutting down the protest effort. This sparked controversy across other campuses, as more than 100 universities set up their own demonstrations in solidarity on the following day.
University responses to these protests differed based on the schools’ individual policies, some allowing encampments and others prohibiting them altogether. Columbia University suspended and expelled nearly 80 students participating in a pro-Palestine demonstration, according to the Associated Press.
The University of Miami is not one of 148 known institutionally neutral colleges and universities, according to a report by Heterodox Academy, a nonpartisan organization promoting the First Amendment. According to the report, the number of institutions adopting neutral policies has skyrocketed after the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7.
The report says that 97% of universities that implemented neutrality policies sought to “create more inclusive campus environments where diverse viewpoints can coexist.”
Of the 148 neutral colleges and universities, only 33 were private, “suggest[ing] that [private institutions] may feel less pressure to refrain from taking public stances on controversial issues.”
UM has made public statements commenting on political and social issues, including standing in solidarity with Israel after October 7.
Universities that take political stances could have a chilling effect on student expression. Students not aligning with their universities may feel afraid to exercise their First Amendment rights out of fear of being punished. In the FIRE survey, 30% of UM student respondents say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
Administrations at other schools have faced criticism for actions perceived as limiting students’ First Amendment rights. Indiana University recently cut the production of all printed products of the student newspaper and terminated its student media advisor.
According to The Nation, IU’s chancellor stated that the shutdown was “strictly business,” claiming there are insufficient funds for the paper. But both staff and student editors at IU argued that it was a blatant violation of their First Amendment rights and suggested that the University’s actions constituted censorship.
In FIRE’s ranking, UM is placed just 33 spots higher than Indiana University.
A 2024 Knight Foundation study found that students believe their ability to express contrasting ideas and use their freedom of speech has declined drastically in the last eight years. An increasing number of students also reported that “the climate at my school or my campus prevents some people from saying things they believe, because others might find it offensive.”
First Amendment scholar and UM professor Dr. David Weinert feels strongly that students should be able to discuss polarizing topics on-campus.
“As educators, we are tasked with presenting pertinent sides to important freedom of speech issues, then letting the students evaluate the same information,” said Weinert. “If we cannot discuss important, sensitive and controversial topics in a world-class university classroom, where can we discuss these things?”
Weinert emphasized that private institutions like UM are free to set their own speech and expression policies, as they are not government entities. However, he emphasized that restrictions should only be used when free speech is “materially and substantially disruptive to the educational process.”
He said that “Unwarranted censorship by university administrations raises free expression red flags.”
When asked if he believes students’ rights to free speech have eroded over time, he agreed.
The University of Miami Republican and Democratic clubs have each supported ideas of open expression and debate, believing that students must be aware of their rights and exercise them effectively.
“The right to speak freely, granted to us by our Constitution, must be preserved and protected in the classroom and throughout campus,” said the UM College Republicans in a statement to The Hurricane.
“We deserve to learn what free speech means in a real society,” said junior Bella Whitlock, treasurer of UM’s Young and College Democrats. “The mission of a university should be consistent: teaching, research and fostering critical thinking.”
Weinert emphasized that the First Amendment is crucial to establishing a marketplace of ideas in higher education and the United States at large, where controversial speech can and should be protected.
“I remind my students that the purpose of the First Amendment is to protect unpopular speech. If all speech was popular and pleasant, there would be no need for the First Amendment.”